Vapor electric device.



0. OI KRUH.

VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVIGE.

nrmonmn rum) APR. 16. 1907. RENEWED MAR. 25, 1912.

1,086,186. Patented Feb. 3. 1914.- K

Witnesses: Inventor:

- Osias O. Kruh, W .M.

Q- W W 3K.

OSIAS O. Kilt/UH, OLE Sfl HENECTAD Y, NEW'YORK. ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL-ELECTRIC Y COMPANY, 'A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE;

Application filed A ril 15, mp7, Serial No. 368,423. Renewed March 25, 1912'. seriig i'yl'vc 686,131.

To all whom it may concern Be it-ltnown that I, Osms'O'rmKRUrn-a subject of the Emperor of r'uistria llungafry, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor Electric Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates .to vapor electric devices, and more particularly to rectificrs, lamps, and other apparatus adapted for use on alternating current circuits.

Such devices as ordinarily constructed combecome cathode and thus permit the flow of current through the device in a direction the reverse/of that taken by the normal operating current. Several influences may cooperate to change the anodeinto a momentary cathode, and the present invention has for its object the protection of theanodes from these disturbing influences.

According to this invention, adequate protection of the anodes is secured without entircly inclosing the anodes and without inaterially constricting the are path or aftecting. the clliciency of the apparatus as a rectifier or lamp.

The present invention is not limited to any particular theory, and its scope is defined by the appended claims. I have. however. set forth hereinafter in considerable detail what, at the present time. I consider as the cause of some of the peculiar characteristirs of vapor apparatus and lhave pointed out how dilliculties arising therefrom may be obviated.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming part, of this specification, in which 'the several figures represent operative embodiments of Ill)" invention.

Figure l is an elevation partly in section illustrating anodes protected by depending bells and shielded from below by a large conical deflector; Fig. 9 shows the anodes provided with separate deflectors: Fifi. 3 illustrates a cup-shaped deflector in close proximity to these anodesyFigl. 4 shows a. somewhat similar arrangement with a bafthe plate separating" one anoej from the other. I p

Each of the vapor devices illustrated in the drawing comprises an evacuated envelop 1 of glass or'other suitable material, provided with a vaporizable cathode 20f mercury, and anodes?) and 4 of artificial graphite or other suitable. mat 'al. An auxiliary or starting anode-5 oi mercury is also provided and is used in the wellknown manner for starting the vapor are within the rectifier tube. In the drawing, a certain shape of tube is illustrated, but my invention is not limited to the particular conformation shown. The anodes 3 and 4 are provided with suitable leading-in condoctors (land '4'- and are protected, for reasons hereinafter set forth, with depending bell-shaped-shields 8 and 9.

In Fig. 1 the anodes are protected by a conical deflector 10 arranged with its COI1 cave portion toward the cathode. This de flector may be supported in any convenient manner, as by a platinum wire or rod 11 sealed thereto, and supported by "the wall of the envelop. I

Fig. 2 illustrates the use of separate defiectors 12 and 13 below the anodes, each consisting of a cone separated from the wall of the envelop but located in the direct path of the are blast from the mercury cathode.

Fig. 3 illustrates the deflectors 14; and 15 as consisting of cups surrounding their respective anodes and supported on metal wires l1) and 17 sealed in the wall of the. envelop. y Y

In Fig. l. the depending shields 8 and 9 are made. somewhat larger than in the other figures and :"0 each provided with an out wardlv curved flange 18 perforated to receive bolts 19, by means of which the cupshaped deflectors 20 may be supported in close proximity to the lower ends of their respective anodes When the vapor electi 1e device is in opsinall'and intensely bright spot on the cathode surface, and the arc appears to on at the cathode surface, no doubt more Patenteiileb; 3, 1914..

eration, the vapor arc is centered in a very than is essential to the transmission of current, and furthermore, a certain quantity of unvaporized mercury seems to be entrained or mechanically carried along With the are blast. I am convinced that arcing at a rectifier anode may result from contact of this projected mercury with the hot surface of the anodes. it

According to my present invention, the deflector or deflectors located between the cathode and the anodes deflect the arc and shield the anodes from excess mercury pro jected fromthe cathode. The deflectors also perform another very useful function in that they protect the anodes flOlD ultra violet light and possibly from other forms of energy radiated by the cathode. The formation of a cathode spot on an anode seems, in some way, to he intiuenced by such emanations from the cathode spot. It will, of course. he understood that the deflectors should he made of some material substantially impervious to these emanations, such, "for instance, as glass or metal; The depending hell shaped shields 8 and 9 adet'piately protect the anodes from mercury falling from above whether the mercury comes from coiulensations at the top of the tube or is part oi that projected from the cathode.

lfnder some circumstances, I find it desirable to provide a battle plate 21, as illustratcd in Fig. 4-. -,The edges of the plate are preferably disposed close to the sidewalls of the envelop. This plate serves to prevent the spattering of mercury on an anode when a glohule falls from the top of the envelop and strikes the conical surface of the shield surroundil'ig another anode. It also serves to diminish the leakage current between an odes.

It; will he noted thatall the modifications illustrated offer an easy path for the vapor arc and that the arc'is free topass between the upper shield andthe lower deflector of an anode and thus reach the anode from any direction. I

It is evident that various modifications in the embodiment of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and that my invention is not limited to the exact details shown and described.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. .The combination of an evacuated envelop, a vaporizable cathode therein, an anode, a shield for protecting said anode from material falling from above, and adeflector between said anode and cathode and separated from said shiell by a space through which an arc may pass.

2. The combination of an evacuated envelop, a vaporizable cathode therein, an anode, a shield above said anode, and a deflector below said anode separated from said shield by an annular space through which an arc may pass to either side of said anode.

3. The combination of an evacuated envelop, a vaporizablc cathode and a plurality of anodes therein, a shield for each anode to protect it. from material falling from above, and a deflector interposed between each anode and the cathode and separated from the corresponding; shield to allow current flow to the anode.

4. The combination of an evacuated envelop, a vaporizahle cathode therein, a pluralityof anodes, a shield for each anode for protecting the anode from matter dropping from above it. and a battle plate interposed between said shields.

The combination of an evacuated envelop, a mercury cathode and a plurality of anodes therein, shields affording access to said anodes by an annular space for deflecting mercury mov ng toward said anodes, and a bafile device for preventing mercury from spattering to an anode a't'ter impinging on the protective means of another anode.

l. The combination of an evacuated envelop, a cathode and a plurality of anodes mounted therein, a conical shield for each anode to protect it from condensed vaporizable material, and a deflector suspended from said shield and separated therefrom by an annular space.

7. The combination of an evacuated envelop, a vaporizable cathode therein, an anode, and a shield interposed between the cathode and the anode, but separated from. said anode by an annular space for deflecting the stream of vaporized material away from said anode toward the walls of the container.

8. The combination of an evacuated envelop, a vaporizable cathode therein, an anode situated opposite said cathode, and a deflector interposed between the cathode and the anode for diverting vaporized cathode material away from said anode toward the walls of the container.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. this 1'2thday of April, 1907.

OSIAS O. KRUH. ltVit-nesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN Onrono. 

